When to give up: lemon law for tractors.

[KubotainNH]

Years ago I had diesel heavy truck that had a piece of corn stalk in the tank. It would die just like this tractor. Would generally restart after a few minutes. Never required bleeding. No air is introduced. The blockage simply overpowers the pumps ability.

That's what I was thinking. Air would have to come from some place if blocked, mostly you would just get a vacuum. To get air in there a hose would need to leak air into the system under the vacuum. With that piece in the tank it probably was limiting the fuel more than stopping it completely.

 

[LD1]

Possibly. But I know on either of our Ford backhoes, if you forget to turn on. Fuel at the tank, it will start and run just long enough to get out of the shop then start sputtering and die right as you realized you left the fuel off.

Simply turning it back on don't work. Gotta crack lines at pump and injectors, bleed filters, the whole nine yards. Just as if you ran out of fuel.

 

[DianneInVA]

Better than I deserve..... and I know it.

 

[Grandad4]

That's what I was thinking. Air would have to come from some place if blocked, mostly you would just get a vacuum. To get air in there a hose would need to leak air into the system under the vacuum. With that piece in the tank it probably was limiting the fuel more than stopping it completely.

Had similar thoughts. Thinking back to the specifics, can't recall if it's in this thread or one of the earlier ones, the dealer mechanic or someone else evidently used the term "vapor lock", which I always understood to mean a temperature induced liquid-to-vapor phase transition in the fuel flow, producing fuel starvation symptoms similar to a physical blockage. Wrong term for the cause but the effect is spot on. I can just imagine the technician repeatedly checking the flow coming from the fuel line, and each time getting adequate flow because the impeding objects had drifted away from the point of blockage. Poor guy probably got some more gray hair from this, but should have eventually dug deeper to identify the cause.

Dianne, I truly wish you well and hope the solution has been found here. You've had some great advice here.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Years ago I had diesel heavy truck that had a piece of corn stalk in the tank. It would die just like this tractor. Would generally restart after a few minutes. Never required bleeding. No air is introduced. The blockage simply overpowers the pumps ability.

Years ago, I had a diesel tractor that would loose power and sometimes quit, it never needing "bleeding" to restart it...

To fix it, I waited until it was almost out of fuel and got serous about checking the tank out as that's an obvious first step. It only took a few mins to realize something in the tank was blocking the flow...

What I ended up finding was, a tree leaf floating in the tank was causing all the problems!

The HARD part was, talking my little niece into reaching in through the "filler" of the tank,
and grab it!! lol

SR

 

[ovrszd]

Years ago, I had a diesel tractor that would loose power and sometimes quit, it never needing "bleeding" to restart it...

To fix it, I waited until it was almost out of fuel and got serous about checking the tank out as that's an obvious first step. It only took a few mins to realize something in the tank was blocking the flow...

What I ended up finding was, a tree leaf floating in the tank was causing all the problems!

The HARD part was, talking my little niece into reaching in through the "filler" of the tank,
and grab it!! lol

SR

Very funny!!!!

 

[Rustyiron]

x2:laughing:

 

[paulfun9]

When your tractor shuts the fuel off to shut down, it is shutting it off at a different location.

If your tractor is equipped with a shutoff valve AT the tank, close it off and run the tractor til there is no more fuel in the lines and the tractor dies. (which would be the same thing as something obstructing the line inside the tank). It is going to take a bleed sequence to get it to restart. BTDT. Just the same as running out of fuel.

I have experienced it both ways. Some equipment can introduce air into the lines from other points and some cant. But the bottom line is inspecting the fuel tank is basic mechanics 101 and this problem should have never made it past the first trip to the dealership. In all honesty checking the tank should have been suggested over the phone along with some other simple checks before it was ever suggested to bring the tractor in for service IMHO.

 

[DianneInVA]

I used the word "vapor lock" not as a diagnosis, but that it acted like a vapor lock, not that it was. And, in this thread I did say that it was not a vapor lock, but that we had considered dirty fuel.... I do get good advice and guidance here. I also hope the solution is permanent... but you know, it will always be something. So I will probably be back. FYI, lots of snow again today.

 

[DianneInVA]

I have experienced it both ways. Some equipment can introduce air into the lines from other points and some cant. But the bottom line is inspecting the fuel tank is basic mechanics 101 and this problem should have never made it past the first trip to the dealership. In all honesty checking the tank should have been suggested over the phone along with some other simple checks before it was ever suggested to bring the tractor in for service IMHO.

Well, it has been a learning experience. So - teach me. How do I inspect a tractor fuel tank for debris? On my motorcycle, it's pretty simple (you can even just take the whole tank off in a couple of minutes) Shining a flashlight around did not reveal those black disks? Thanks. Dianne